ADMIT THE TRUTH
by tayaMH
Summary: Rouge is forced to lead Knuckels away from the M. emerald will they find love on this jorney and if they do can they hold on to it through it all? R


**A/N:** I thought everyone should know, pretty much all my old stories that come before "Moving On" are perfect examples of grammar and spelling murder. I wrote them before I had a real grip on decent grammar and writing. I'm doing my best to go back and edit them. so please be patient with me as I work to make these things readable. Sorry for the trouble.

It was a quite summer day and Rouge had just been wondering around and she decided to take a rest, so she flew down and was lying beside a river. It had been two months since that day at Ark and the day that Knuckles saved Rouge from falling into the magma. She was thinking about that day.

"So Knuckles saved me why did I give up my emerald pieces to him and why did I not drop his hand right away why was it so hard to turn away from his eyes?"

These questions were buzzing around in her head, and she knew the answer she just refused to believe that that was the answer. She knew that deep down she had feelings for the guardian.

"I have to stop thinking about him." She rolled over and was looking at some flowers growing at the edge of the lake. "Hey these are almost the same color as Knuckle's eyes, wait oh no stop thinking of him." She looked up at the sun and its red glow. "The suns glow is the same color as Knuckle's fur...why can't I stop thinking about him?" Soon her thoughts were disrupted by a ringing sound; it was her cell phone. She picked it up and answered it. "This is Rouge."

"Ah batgirl just the bat I wanted to talk", to an evil voice announced.

"Eggman what do you want?" Rouge demanded in an impatient voice. She did not care what he was paying her. She wasn't doing any more jobs for people like him. "You know what Eggman I don't even want to know because whatever it is I won't do it, and I don't care whether you are doubling or tripling the pay I still won't do it."

"Oh you are jumping ahead my dear", Eggman said in a calm voice. "I am not making an offer this is an order!" He said in an collective voice.

"Sense when do I take orders from you Eggman?" Rouge demanded in an angry voice.

"Since you don't want a certain red echidna and his island nuked with my most powerful nuclear bomb."

Rouge didn't know how Eggman found out that she had, shall we say, a soft spot for Knuckles but she had no choice. "Fine Eggman what do you want me to do?"

"Now this may be a little painful but I want you to go to Angel Island and lead that echidna away from the master emerald and then I will steal it."

"Yes sir", was her reply to Eggman's demand.

"Oh and Rouge don't forget to keep in contact so I will know when to attack, and don't think of double crossing me because all it takes is to press a single button and the results for Angle Island will be catastrophic."

Rouge put the phone back on her waist and then turned in the direction of Angle Island which really wasn't far away at all, but Rouge wished it was.

meanwhile

On Angel Island Knuckles was having similar problems, he had not been able to get Rouge off his mind for the past two months. "Get a grip. Why can't I forget about her, anything and everything reminds me of her. When I look at the white roses it reminds me of her soft white fur and when I look at my reflection I see her because she is very much like me a loner." Knuckles had been resting on the steps of the shrine and he all of sudden herd something in the bushes. He stood up and looked in the direction of the sound was coming from and then took a fighting stance. "Who's there" he yelled.

Then he saw what he least expected. It was Rouge she had jumped out of the bushes and was walking towards him. "And a friendly hello to you", she said as she stopped a few feet away from him and placed a hand on her hip.

"Rouge?" "What are you doing here?" Knuckles asked.

"Well I just came here to check up on a friend and take care of a little business."

"Oh really", Knuckles said somewhat annoyed.

"What kind of business?"

"Well I believe you know that I am a treasure hunter I came to hunt in the mountains here on Angle Island. So if you don't mind, could you just point me down the fastest route to the mountains and I will be on my way."

Rouge was really hoping he would just answer the question and pull his loner act, that way she would have an excuse for Eggman. Too bad for her, because he did just the opposite. "Well I'll just take you there myself it will be quicker that way." He wondered what made him say that. Why did he care so much?

"Well ok if you really want to." She said with a smirk on her face.

"It's not because I want too. Its because the faster you get this over with the sooner you can leave." What was he saying he didn't want her to leave, but he couldn't let her know that.

Soon they headed off in the direction of the mountains. It was getting late and they soon came upon a tree whose roots grew so high that it made a small shelter. The two decided it was a good place to stay for the nigh. They both went in, it was small so they both picked a side and went over and sat down. Soon the silence was broken by Rouge. She was asking Knuckles questions, she figured that if Knuckles ever found out that she had something to do with the Emerald being stolen that he would never speak to her again. So she wanted to get to know Knuckles before that happened.

"Knuckles when did you start guarding the emerald?"

"When I was ten years old."

"You started being the guardian at ten, but what about your parents?" she then began to trail off.

"I… I never knew my parents," he answered in a saddened voice.

"Well sometimes not knowing your parents isn't as bad as it seems," she put her hands on her arms and went outside.

This made Knuckles quite curious and he went to find out what she meant. Rouge was leaning against a tree her wings now wrapped around her. "Rouge what did you mean by that?" Knuckles asked in confusion.

"If you never know your parents they can never hurt you," she said closing her eyes and letting her head hang down.

"Did your parents hurt you Rouge?" Knuckles asked in a concerned voice.

"When I was born my father left my mother and me... then a year or two after I was born my mom didn't want me anymore and she dumped me in an orphanage."

As she spoke the last part a single solitary tear escaped down her cheek. Knuckles saw this and put a hand to her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Wait why was he comforting her? She was his rival wasn't she? She turned to him. "Thanks Knuckles."

"For what?" He asked.

She began to head back for the shelter as she answered. "For being there for me."

Soon they were both on their sides asleep or so it seemed. Rouge opened one eye to see if Knuckles was asleep and he was. She got up and went outside and made a phone call to Eggman to make her report. "This is Rouge, the mission is going well but don't attack yet we are still to close."

She then hung up the phone and went back inside and was happy to find Knuckles still sound asleep. She too was soon sound asleep in a few moments. Then next morning Rouge could feel a hand on her shoulder and it was shaking her, she could hear a voice. "Hey Rouge we better get going."

It was Knuckles she sat up and was rubbing her eyes. She was happy to see Knuckles but didn't let him know. "What's with the wakeup call?"

"Well I like to get a good early start is all." He said with a smirk on his face. "Don't tell me that you can't handle getting up a little early?"

A frown appeared on her face as she answered him. "No I am completely capable."

"Well come on let's get moving."

They were getting close. The two were now wondering through a canyon. Knuckles was leading and Rouge was following behind him. The wind had been blowing ever since they woke up that morning. It was blowing a lot more than usual, and it was usually very strong. Rouge's ears picked up a sound it was like something falling and it was coming right for her. She looked up the wind had blown a good sized rock over the edge of the canyon. She ran to get out of the way it managed to hit her wing, and caused a bit of damage at least enough so that she couldn't fly. She went to her knees and was clutching her wound.

"That hurt," Rouge said through clenched teeth.

Knuckles turned around and was at her side in a second. "Rouge are you ok?"

"I will be but I won't be able to fly for a day of two."

"Well lets-."

"Shh I hear something." Rouge said her hears twitching.

"What is it?"

"Knuckles run!"

"Wha-"

"Run!" She said pointing behind them it was a huge twister heading for them.

Knuckles picked Rouge up and began to glide, nut the top of canyon was too narrow for them to fit so they just continued to glide forward. Then Rouge began to twitch her hears again. She use her available wing to turn then inward toward the wall.

"Rouge what are you doing, we'll crash!"

"Knuckles do you trust me?" She asked.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" She said again this time almost in the calmest voice she had.

"Y-Yes." He answered at last. Rouge began to steer them again and they turned a corner and Knuckles expected to smash into a wall but instead they had flown into a small cavern and kind of crash landed into the floor.

"Well that was close." Rouge said as she got up and brushed the dirt off her.

It was late and the storm was still going on so they decided to stay in the cavern for the night. Soon Knuckles was asleep and Rouge made her call and told Eggman not to come yet. She soon headed back to where she was going to sleep. But she noticed that Knuckles was flinching and was in a cold sweat. She walked over and kneeled down next to him. She began to rub his forehead and she took her other hand and picked up his. He gripped it for dear life. She smiled and soon he had drifted back into a peaceful sleep. So she walked over to her sleeping spot and she also went to sleep. The next morning Rouge was first to awake and she went outside to stretch and work her wings. Unknown to her Knuckles had heard her get up and soon joined her outside.

"So how is your wing?"

"Oh it is better I should be able to glide if I am forced to. So what did you dream about last night? It must have been pretty bad." She then mentally kicked herself. she would most likely have to tell him what she had done last night.

"Why do you ask?"

"Ah no reason."

"Rouge." He said in a suspecting voice.

"Well last night you were flinching and you were in a cold sweat, but I helped you and you calm down."

"What do you mean you helped me?"

A somewhat evilest smile came onto her face. "Oh nothing, nothing at all." She said putting her hands behind her back and staring to walk off towards the mountains.

Now she had made Knuckles curious and he wanted to know what Rouge had done to him last night. "Rouge." Knuckles said in a firm voice.

"I told you it was nothing, it was no trouble at all trust me."

"Rouge tell me!" Knuckles had been nagging at her for a long time.

In truth she liked the attention, but she could tell Knuckles was getting tired of this little game. "Fine I will tell you. When I saw you were having a bad dream last night I went over and stared rubbing your forehead and I let you hold my hand. You have a really tight grip by the way."

Knuckles just blushed and was staring at the ground as they were walking. "That was nice of you to do."

This really surprised Rouge she had never heard Knuckles complement anyone let alone her. "It was no problem."

They had been gliding for a while, Rouge practically begged him to let her glide on her own. He finally gave into her. The two had been flying for a while now and because they were getting closer and closer to the mountains, the temperature was getting lower and lower and Rouge was freezing, but she didn't let Knuckles know. Soon Rouge could see snow everywhere and she began clutching her arms and rubbing them trying to stay warm. This was making things obvious to Knuckles. They soon landed and Rouge took a seat on a snow covered rock her teeth clenched.

"Look you stay here and I am going to see if I can find us some shelter ok."

"What do you think I can't keep up knucklehead?"

"No I can go faster on my own is all."

Rouge soon gave into him and let him go. She had been sitting there for a while and then the wind started to blow. She heard a specific sound it was the sound of the wind blowing into the opening of a cave. She looked around for it. She turned to her rear and she saw a cave opening she went up to it. It was small and it had a few dead leaves and sticks she picked them all up and soon had started a fire. It had been at least two hours and she was getting worried. "Should I go look for him, wait why do I care I shouldn't care but- but I do. That's it! I am going to go look for him."

She had headed out and was gliding. she soon saw something red. She realized it was Knuckle's red dreadlocks. She soon was on the ground. All she could see was a few of his dreadlocks and she began digging and found the rest of him. He was starting to lose his reddish color, she picked him up and lifted him as she began to fly back to the cave, luckily the fire hadn't gone out and it helped her to fine the opening again. She landed inside, and sat Knuckles up against the wall so that he was close to the fire. It was getting late and Knuckles wasn't much better, so she began thinking.

"This is the only way, he better appreciate this." She got closer to him and took a wing and an arm and wrapped it around behind him and then she took her other wing and wrapped it around his front. She took his arm and pulled it around her waist and let it rest on her hip. She soon rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "I should be bugged by having to do this, but I am enjoying it..why?" Soon she was sound asleep.

The morning arrived and the bright rays from the sun shone on Knuckles face and it woke him. He opened his eyes slightly and looked out the cave opening and saw that only a few flurries were falling. Then he realized he was warmer that he should be. He looked down and saw Rouge still asleep on his chest and her wings draped over him like blankets. His face was now ten times redder than his fur and he was looking at her. He thought to himself. "What happened last night? How did I end up here like this with her, why can't I remember?"

He thought that he should be the slights bit angry at this and that he should want it to end as soon as possible, but that just wasn't the case. He wasn't mad at all and he seemed to want the moment to last just a little longer each time he thought about it. He then noticed the grip between Rouge's hand and his own. He slowly let go so as not to wake her and began to massage the inside of her hand. He laid his head back and was relaxed for the first time in long while. Soon Rouge began to stir and she sat up and saw that he had woken up first. She began to blush red like crazy and she began her explanation right away.

"How long have you been up?" She asked in a somewhat nervous voice.

"A few minutes." He answered

"Well in case you are wondering why I did what I did...well...I went looking for you last night and I found you out cold in the snow and I had to do something to keep you warm or you might not have made it through the night."

Knuckles was surprised to know that Rouge cared so much. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her. "Thank you."

She had never heard him thank anyone before, and something came over her and a smooth smile appeared on her face. It wasn't a smirk or an evil smile just a regular sort of happy smile one that Knuckles nor anyone else had ever seen before.

She laid her hand on top of his. they both stared at what she had done for a moment and then they faced each other. She began get closer and closer. "Rouge what- what are you doing?" Knuckles blushed.

"Something I should I have done a long time ago." She brushed her lips against his and he was backing away slightly. "It's ok trust me."

Those words again. When she said those words it made him melt and it made him so vulnerable to her.

She closed her eyes and kissed him, his eyes widened from the shock as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate and soon his instincts began to work and he closed his eyes and kissed her back, almost as if he was enjoying it. He began to think. _'Why is she doing this why I am I doing it I like but I can't like it I just can't.'_

He then broke away from the kiss and Rouge leaned back. "I am sorry, I- I was being to forward I-." She was cut off.

"No its- it's ok I just I- I don't know." He said lowering is eyes and looking at the ground.

She stood up. "Look I am going out and scan the area you wait here ok."

He just nodded as he watched her go out the big cave opening. What is this feeling he was having? It was like a need to be with her and he could not stand it so he got up and walked out to see if he could catch her. He looked around and realized that he heard something. It was Rouge she was talking to someone, he snuck up behind her and hid behind a rock to see who she was talking to.

"Look Eggman you can't come today it is to early stay away!" she yelled into the phone.

"Look I don't care how close you are I think you are stalling for that echidna now I will be there soon, goodbye." The line went dead.

"That's it," she said and she threw the phone on the ground and stomped it so that it broke into a thousand pieces. "I am telling Knuckles today I can't keep this from him any longer."

"Keep what from me?" Knuckles said coming out from behind the rock with a frown on his face and clenching his fists.

"Knuckles how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know that you never really cared you just lured me away because that was the job Eggman gave you." He turned so that he could start gliding and hopefully get back to the master emerald in time.

"Knuckles wait I-." She was interrupted.

He swung around almost insulted and there were tears almost in his eyes. "Why should I wait for you, you never really cared you were just doing your job! I thought you had changed but you are still the same lying thief you always were, so why, why should I ever wait for you!" With that he turned and began gliding away as fast as could hoping he could make it back to the master emerald in time.

Rouge went to the edge where Knuckles had just taken off, with tears running down her face and she whispered something into the wind as if she were hoping the wind would tell him for her. "Because I love you."

She watched him as he flew away. She went to her knees and was in deep thought, she was having an internal argument between her mind and heart. Her mind told her if that was what he really though then she should just leave. Her heart told her mind that it didn't mean that, because she knew that Knuckles had said those things out of anger and just because he said them didn't change the way she felt about him. "But how would I ever gain his trust back it is impossible." Suddenly the image of Knuckles holding her shot into her mind. She clenched her fists now more determined than ever. "I love him and I know what I have to do." Soon Rouge was on her feet again and looked in the direction that Knuckles had flown in, and soon was heading in same direction.

Knuckles had finally reached the emerald and he was exhausted and barely had the strength to stand. Which was unlucky because at that second Eggman had just arrived and with one of his biggest and strongest robots. "What do you want Eggman?"

"Oh nothing in particular just your Emerald."

"You have to go through me first."

"Well that shouldn't be too hard to do."

"I can see that batgirl failed to do her duty."

"What are you talking about Eggman!"

"Oh I gave her a little call and told her that I would nuke this entire island and you with it if she didn't do as I said. I threatened your life and suddenly she was just as obedient as ever, I guess the bat has a very soft spot for you."

With that he press a button and the Robots giant fist came at him and he wasn't quick enough to get out of the way. He was struck, he now lay next to the emerald face down. There was then an evil laugh from Eggman, he was pleased with how easy it was. Then Knuckles was able to gather enough strength to lift his head to see what was going on. Then she was there. Rouge had landed right in front of Knuckles and was standing in a fighting stances and giving Eggman a deadly glare. "Get back!" She spat at him.

"Oh the little batgirl is going to try and save her boyfriend? Well to bad because there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"Now get out of my way."

"No!"

"If that's the way you want it." With that she was shot down just as Knuckles was and she took her arms and pushed herself up slightly, she was trying to think.

_"Oh come on think! What can I do? I have lost so much strength what can I do!" _ Rouge screamed in her head.

Knuckles was also in deep thought. _"Why, why is she here? Why is she helping me she betray me, she never liked me, and I never like her."_

Then he heard a voice in his mind and it was his heart speaking to him. _"If this is true then why do you still love her?"_

_"What do mean I can't still love her not after what she did."_

_"Oh but you do and in spite of what she has done, you still love her, and deep down you know that there is nothing she can ever do to make you stop caring."_

Then she glanced at Knuckles who when he saw her shut his eyes quickly he couldn't bear to see her right now not until he could figure this all out. Then she noticed the master emerald and an idea came to her. She walked over to Knuckles and bent down to him. She turned him over on his back so that he had to face her she took his hand and gripped it, but she could not feel him gripping hers in return.

"Knuckles do you believe in me?" She asked softly.

"Why," he said through clenched teeth.

"Just tell me do you believe in me?" she asked again this time with tears running down her cheeks.

"I believe in you with all my heart and soul." He replied now gripping her hand and with a grin on his face.

Then Rouge went and kneeled down in front of the master emerald and then she put a hand to it, and she spoke to it. "Master emerald hear me I wish you to give me strength."

Then Rouge could hear a voice in her head it was the master emerald it was talking back to her. "Why should I give such power you must tell me the truth."

"I want to save you and I am not strong enough to do it alone."

"That is not the reason you want this power."

"I want to defeat Eggman once and for all!"

"These reason you give me are not the real reasons you want this power."

"Ok what I really want is to have these powers so that I can save the guardian."

"And why should you want to save the guardian?"

"Because I love him."

"Your reason are true and I give this power to save the guardian you love so dearly."

Then a flash of white light appeared around Rouge and the master emerald. Knuckles had to shield his eyes. Then the light died and standing there was Rouge her black bat wings were now white and feathered as if meant for an angle and her clothes were now different she was wearing a min skirt and a tank top with knee high boots and they were all solid white. There was a glow around her. The emerald must have given her all of its own strength because it was no longer glowing at all it looked as if it were dead.

"Well batgirl looks like an absolute angel, but that isn't going to help you escape my guns."

"Eggman leave while you can or face the dire consequences." She said looking at him without any face expression once so ever.

"Oh I am so afraid of the little batgirl!" He said mockingly.

"Have it your way." With that she took a hand and waved it in front of her and then a huge energy blast shot out and broke one of the engines off of his mega robot.

"No what in the-, how did you do that?" She did it again this time she summoned all of her power for this blast and shot every engine off Eggman's robot and it fell to the ground and was completely destoyed.

"You will pay for this!" Eggman yelled as he flew away in his walker.

As soon as he was gone Rouge began to fall after that last attack she had lost all of her strength and was not conscious. Knuckles gathered all of his strength and got up and ran to catch her. He carried her back to the shrine and sat on the steps holding her. The power she had inside raised from her and she took her normal form. The power took an orb form and phased back into the master emerald's shell and it began to glow again. Rouge was barely breathing and she lost a lot of energy.

"Rouge please, please don't leave me now, I finally realize that that I, I- love you." He closed his eyes and a tear ran down his cheek.

"I finally realized I love you to." A soft angel like voice spoke.

He opened his eyes and saw Rouge staring at him with a little grin on her face. "Oh Rouge I thought I had lost you."

"I thought I had almost lost you to but now...we're finally together."

Then they got closer and closer and shared a kiss so sweet it made them melt. They parted and looked into each other's eyes and saw the beginning of the rest of their lives, and each of their futures were intertwined with the others.


End file.
